A Scots gran has been told by Home Office chiefs to prove she has a right to stay in the UK – after living here for nearly 60 years.

Tina Crolla Stewart – who came to Scotland in 1960 – is one of hundreds of elderly Italian Scots facing appalling treatment by the UK ­Government in a crisis with chilling echoes of the Windrush scandal.

The Home Office was blasted after the crisis saw Caribbean-born British citizens wrongly classified as illegal immigrants. Some were taken to detention centres and dozens deported.

Now Tina and other elderly and infirm Scots with Italian heritage have to navigate Brexit red tape to prove they should stay and not be sent to Italy.

Tina said: “Thank you ­Brexiteers. After living in ­Scotland for 59 years, I have to apply for permanent residence.

Paolo Nutini, Ronnie Ancona and Sharleen Spiteri are all famous Scots who can trace their heritage back to Italy (Image: Collect/Handout/Getty Images)

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“I think 59 years constitutes permanent residence. It’s not as if I thought I would try it for a lifetime to see if I liked it.

“I have worked and paid taxes all my adult life and now I need permission to stay. Absurd.”

Tina moved to Glasgow from ­Picinisco, near Rome. She worked as a legal secretary, raising two ­children.

Italian immigrants have been arriving in Scotland since the late 19th century. Tens of ­thousands of their descendants are now dotted across Scotland and have ­influenced almost every walk of Scottish life.

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Some have become international stars, including Paisley boy Paolo Nutini, who was given a St Christopher medal by Barga in Tuscany for his work in raising its profile abroad.

Glaswegian Sharleen Spiteri, the frontwoman of Texas, has Italian as well as Maltese blood.

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“We will have to apply for settled status on March 29. If there is a deal, we have got until December 2020. We have to apply on an Android phone – which can be tricky for people who aren’t good with ­technology – and hope that we are accepted.

“There is always the danger they will say no. This is my home, I love Scotland. I am married to a Scot, all my roots are here. I never thought that I would ever have to face this disaster.”

A spokeswoman for human rights campaigner Positive Action in Housing said: “The hostile environment has come home to roost for Italian Scots living here all their lives – shame on the UK Government.

“Italian Scots, many of them elderly and infirm are facing the nightmare of navigating error-prone Home Office bureaucracy and a crashing app – only ­available for certain types of Android phone – as they try to apply for permanent residence or settled status.”

A Home Office spokesperson said:

“EU citizens are our friends, family and neighbours and the Government has been clear that we want them to stay, whether we reach a deal or not.

“The EU Settlement Scheme will ensure that all EU citizens living in the UK will have an individual status granted by the Home Office and evidence of this which they can use to demonstrate their right to work, housing and benefits.

“It will be as simple as possible for EU citizens to get the status they need. They will only need to complete three key steps - prove their identity, show that that they live in the UK, and declare any criminal convictions.

“We are working in partnership with vulnerable group representatives, local authorities and other experts to make sure we reach everyone.”